Caught myself among the clouds
by KakashiFNGRL
Summary: ShikamaruxOC oneshot, shortly after the chuunin exams.


"Kai-chan, wake up. Kai?" The little girl tried to shake her sister awake, she grabbed her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Unkai-chan, you're going to be late for your shogi championship!"

"Ita-! I'm awake, I'm awake!" The young girl, clad in ANBU attire shot up straight and panted, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "How many times have I told you to call me ane-chan?"

The little girl shrugged her shoulders, "Shiranai~, I like your name better. Now get up, and put on your lucky mask!" It was her younger sister who pulled her onto her feet and dragged her from the grassy fields.

"Where are we going?! Kumo-chan~?"

Minutes after they left the forest, the intentional whining of the 14 year old ANBU got too much for the 10 year old genin, "Where are we going, Kumo-chaaaan?!"

"Urusai! Like I said, we're going to the Anual Katon Shogi Championship!"

Unkai was shocked, "Nani?! Nande?! Doko?! Eh?!"

"I signed you in weeks ago, I told you to practice everyday!"

"Why did you even sign me in? You know I'm terrible at shogi, haven't you seen my pokerface?"

The tiny girl kept on dragging as she explained, "That's why I told you to put on your lucky mask! Baka..."

"My lucky mask? You mean my ANBU mask?" She thumbed the mask around her neck, memories colliding with current thoughts.

"No silly! The mask your sempai gave you!"

Time stopped as painful memories now collided with heart breaking thoughts, her hand slipped down into her back pouch. She traced the outlines of said mask, '_Sempai_...'

"Why did you sign me in?"

"So Unkai-chan can kick last year's champion's ass!"

Unkai gasped, realising what had been said, "Where is it being held this year?"

"Why do you keep forgetting? Every year's competition is being held at the last winner's residence!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, "You mean we're going to the Nara ranch? Where it's being held every year for the past 6 years? I can't see him! I'll just chicken out!"

Once again, Kumo grabbed her sister's hand, "That's why you should wear that mask, he can't intimidate you if he can't see you."

Wise words for one so small.

Unkai gulped as the gates of the ranch got in sight, music reached their ears as laughter and yells closed in on them.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, It's time for the Anual Shogi Competition... The finals!" Tsunade also announced that the 'Kissing Kakashi Booth' was just officially closed and out of business. For ever. "And here are our two finalists, Amagumo Unkai, respectable runner up from last year, and the current champion, Nara Shikamaru!"

As the crowd went wild, Unkai's heart went berserk... Patiently Shikamaru sat at the shogi table on the stage, but Unkai's feet and legs refused to cooperate. "C'mon Unkai-chan, put on your mask and hit it! You can beat him, you know it!"

Slowly she shifted the wooden piece of art in place and stepped on the stage. The whole time her heart flipped backwards, the whole time her eyes were plastered on the young chuunin's face. She noticed there was a special twinkle in his eyes, a sly smile crept onto his lips. It stayed there the entire match in silence, halfway a few words were exchanged, "_It's good to see you again, Unkai-Chan..."_

_"It is good to see you too, Nara-san_..."

He had made his move and placed his hands under the table, Unkai raised her hand above the board but suddenly it froze. She gasped silently, she looked him in the eye as he said, "_Why... Why are you going for your king? You're not about to give up... Are you_?"

She grinned, "_Maybe I am... What do you care_?" She tried to resist his jutsu and attempted to lower her hand.

"You worked so hard to get so far, are you going to stop right here?"

"_Let me be, Nara-san_..." No matter how strong she was, she couldn't reach her king. "_What are you planning on, Shika-kun_?"

A tiny irk-mark decorated his forehead as he muttered, "_Troublesome woman_..."

His eyes met her gaze... And she lost control, over everything. Before she knew it, things got out of hand. With only one finger she balanced herself on the board, but that finger rested on a certain piece. It lead to victory, and a kiss so sweet. Her lips were being held together by none other than Shikamaru's, was this his kagemane jutsu? Or a jutsu of her own? As the present crowd aw'ed and ow'ed, a judge walked up behind the two in order to check the board. As the two teen's lips never parted, the judge raised his right hand and pronounced the winner, "...Amagumo Unkai!"

The crowd cheered for Unkai, as Kumo sighed of relief.

She smiled into the kiss as his hand slipped into her hair, he placed his hand on her neck and deepened the kiss. As they broke for air she asked, "I can't believe you helped me win!"

A confused look sat on Shikamaru's face, "What are you talking about? I didn't even notice that move..."

"Eh? What do you mean? You simply didn't see it?" she said.

"Yeah, it's kinda silly isn't it? Consecutive champion of 6 years didn't see a move."

"But why didn't you see it?"

_"Because you simply cloud my mind..."_


End file.
